The Mojave Rivers Ranger Station was designed to convey the Forest Service’s conservation roots and the work it does to protect the land. Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects came up with a plan that would help blend the district headquarters in with the surrounding desert environment while minimizing energy use and maintaining a comfortable indoor climate. The project is a low, single-story building with a narrow 40′ wide floor plate that floods the open plan office with natural light from both sides. Inverted king-post trusses are central to the airy volume of the interior spaces, and wood finishes make the space pleasant and inviting. Operable windows on both sides allow for cross ventilation during more moderate times of the year.

The building itself is constructed with earth-colored concrete that is reminiscent of rammed earth and adobe walls. While these traditional materials are very eco-friendly, the design team chose a special, seismic-resistant reinforced concrete with a low CO2 content sourced from a local quarry. This also provides a large thermal mass to collect and dissipate heat throughout the day. Large overhangs and a shaded patio on the south side protect the interior from direct sun. The building also features a roof-mounted photovoltaic thin-film system, high-performance glass, and a geothermal ground source heat pump system. Drought tolerant landscaping blends the site in with the desert, and lightly colored paving reduces the heat island effect. Since its completion in 2011, the project has received LEED Gold certification and achieved an energy performance 26.5% better than Title 24 baseline without sacrificing any performance in comfort, habitability, or function.

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ExsmokeyJanuary 1, 2013 at 11:02 pm

I think this is the new ranger station in Acton, California. If so it is the Santa Clara/Mojave Rivers Ranger District office. This ranger district includes the area near Pyramid Lake and the north slope of the San Gabriel Mountains, all within the boundaries of the Angeles National Forest. Contrary to the narrative above, it does not include any portion of the Mojave Desert.

The former and long time location for this ranger district office was in Texas Canyon, above the city of Santa Clarita. The permanent facility there was burned down 20 or 30 years ago. The Angeles NF attempted to replace the buildings for many years while the district office consisted of modular units. Several years ago those structures were also burned down. Given the budget situation, the Angeles National Forest reduced the number of ranger districts from 5 to three. This is when the old Saugus Ranger District took over the old Valyermo Ranger District lands on the north slope of the San Gabriel Mtns. The logical location for the district office was Acton, more or less centrally located in the district\\\’s jurisdiction.

This is a fantastic building with great features, better than I\\\’ve seen of all the Forest Service facilities I\\\’ve worked in or visited. As I worked in four states during my Forest Service career, traveling as an investigator (internal affairs), working on wildland fires and visiting dozens of National Forests I\\\’ve seen a lot of ranger stations. I wish I could have worked in something this outstanding. My compliments to those involved in designing and constructing it!!!